The legislative auditor serves as the watchdog of public spending, overseeing more than 3,500 audits of state and local governments and their related quasi-public enterprises. The office conducts financial and performance audits of the state's agencies, colleges, and universities.

Purpera was the unanimous choice of the Special Recommendation Committee, which interviewed five applicants for the job during an open meeting.

The committee went into executive session to discuss the qualifications of the five. House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, said that during the 10-minute closed-door meeting, there was discussion of a second candidate but he did not say who that was.

Tucker said his "greatest comfort" in supporting the recommendation for Purpera was "the continuity in the office."

Purpera is a certified public accountant who has worked under four auditors. He also spent 18 months in the Department of Agriculture and Forestry when former Commissioner Bob Odom was in office.

"What we want to be is a fact-finder, not a prosecutor," Purpera said of his view of the office.

He said he will adopt Theriot's approach to the office by working with agencies to help them avoid violating audit and spending laws. "We should protect our dollars on the front end and not on the back end," Purpera said.

The other four candidates interviewed were: Dudley Garidel Jr. of Baton Rouge, a member of the legislative auditor's staff from 1974 to 1995 and now director of the state education department's internal audit unit; Timothy Palmatier of Metairie, an accountant and lawyer who is now working as chief deputy judicial administrator with the state Supreme Court; Jullin Renthrope of New Orleans, a 35-year veteran of governmental accounting, including 2 1/2 years with the Department of Revenue, and the rest of the time with the auditor's office; and Perry "Jeff" Smith of Prairieville, who headed the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness from 2004 to 2008 and is owner of a private accounting firm.